Toy electric railway system



July 7, 1.931. w. A. BRowNE ET AL TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM Filed Dec. 8, 1930 .Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM A. BROWNE .AND ROBERT KISSEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM Application filed December 8, 1930. Serial No. 500,702.

mote from the track, and in which a locomotive or other vehicle adapted to operate on such a tra-ck is propelled by one or more driving motors drawing current from the current-carrying rails. Such systems also frequently7 include other electrical devices,

such as lamps, motor-actuated mechanisms, or the like, which may be operated by current drawn from the rails. As will be understood, devices of this character may be carried by the locomotive or by cars which the latter is capable of hauling along the track, or may be stationary and adapted to operate automatically, for example, whenever a vehicle is running on the track or when such a vehicle passes a given place on the latter.

Heretofore in a system of the class described, available methods lor devices for convenient electrical control from a remote point, i. e., a point remote from the track or vehicles, have only been adapted to regulate the supply of electric current to the entire system at once, so that all vvehicles drawing current from the track are put in operative condition, or removed therefrom, at the same time. Hence, for example, it has been heretofore impractical to operate on the same system of track more than one separate locomotive or train, since an additional locomotive or train could only be started or stopped simultaneously with the first, since the two could n-ot be individually controlled inspeed, and since manually operated controlling means placed on the moving vehicles would be unsatisfactory.

.'\ccordingly, a principal object of this invention is to provide an improved toy'electric railway system oi t-he class stated having two separate locomotives or trains operable on a single system of track and controllable independently of each other at a point remote from the track and in a convenient and effective manner.

Another object is to provide improved remote controlling means for a toy electric railway system having a single line of track,

whereby either or. both oftwlo motor-driven vehicles-or other electrical devices adapted to draw current from the track may be readily1 placed in or out of operative condition at wi l.

A further object of the invention is to provide a system of the classdescribed havi two separate individually controllable locomotives or trains and' having means for operating lamps, signals, or other devices drawing current from the track, according as either or both of the locomotives or trains are operated under control from a remote point.

Other objects of the invention areto accomplish control of a toy railway system, having two separate locomotives or trains, more easily and satisfactorilythan by arrangements hitherto available, and in a System of such character, tol dispense with manual operation of controlling means on the moving vehicles. To these and other ends the invention comprises the novel fea tures and combinations hereinafter described.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a portion of a toy railway system embodying the' invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of track 85 employed in a modification of the embodiment of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing a pair of car wheels on the -track and also the appurtenant electrical circuits.

A toy railway system embodying the invention in the form illustrated has a track which may be conveniently made up of sections of a size standard in the art, one of the 9b sections and a portion of another connected thereto being shown in Fig. 1. Such a section comprises parallel'rails 10, 11, l2, supported by ties 13, which may economically be made of metal. Adjacent sections of track can be mechanically and electrically connected to each other (as at 14a) by. means of appropriate pins 14 and cooperating recesses (not-shown) at the juxtaposed railends, in a manner known to the art, and in this way the three rails will constitute continuous electrical conductors to transmit current throughout the entire systems. Outer rails 10, 12, serve as load rails, and are adapted to carry the wheels of one or more vehicles capable of traveling thereon, such as locomotive or car 16, the body of which is partially cut away in Fig. 1 to show wheels 17, 18 resting on the track. j

For transmission of current as desired, the three rails 10, 11, 12, are insulated from each other by any suitable means, such as by clips 15 of fiber, paper, or the like inserted between the rails and the ties 13 (shown also in Fig. 3). For some purposes insulation of the rails from each other is sulhciently achieved by insulating only two of them from the metallic ties, but in order to avoid short circuits caused by accidental or other connection of the ties of adjacent sections which might occur if the adjacent sections should be relatively reversed in position) and for other reasons appearing hereinafter, theinsulation of each rail, as in the drawings, is advantageous.

' A convenient source of power for the system is a transformer of standard construetion, having a primary 19 in circuit with the usual 11G-volt mains. One side of the lowvoltage secondary 20 is connected through wire 21 to center rail 1l; the other side of secondary 20 is connected through wire 22, variable resistance 23, switch 24, and wire 25 to rail 10, and is also connected through wire 22, variable resistance 26, switch 27, and wire 28 to rail 12. In this way, the pair of rails 10, llgconstitute a circuit for transmission of power along the track, controllable by switch 24 and resistance 23, while the pair of rails 11, 12 constitute a similar but independent circuit, controllable by switch 27 and resistance 26.

The chassis 29 of locomotive 16 encloses a driving motor, conventionally represented at 30, the leads of which are respectively connected through the frame of the locomotive to wheel 18, and to a shoe 31 making contact with rail 11. The locomotive may also have other electrical devices, such as a headlamp,

conventionally shown at 32, connected to the' same points. Wheel 18 is of standard metal construction,-as may also be other wheels, not in view in Fig. l, on the same side of the locomotive,-thus making electrical contact with rail 12. Wheel 17, and all other locomotive wheels carried by rail 10, are on the other hand so constructed that their periph ery is insulated from the frame of the locomotive, and to that end may conveniently be made, as shown, of suitable insulating material, such as libre, hard rubber,l rbakelite or the like.

By reason of the construction described, locomotive 16 is adapted to draw current for its driving motor (as well as for its headlamp) from the pair of rails 11, 12, and because of the insulated wheels 17 and the like on the same side, no -circuit is completed across the pair of 'rails 10, 11. There may also be placed on the track a second locomotive 33, which may be constructed similarly to locomotive 16, except that its wheels 34, resting on raill'12 have their peripheries insulated from the frame, as described above with respect to wheel 17 whereas the wheels 35 resting on rail 10 are of standard metallic construction, making electrical contact with that rail. This second locomotive 33, having also a shoe 36 traveling on rail 11, is thus capable of drawing current from the pair of rails 10, 11, and completes no circuit across rails 11, 12. It will now be seen that closing or opening switch 27, and varying resistance 26, which, it will be remembered,are in circuit with rails 11, 1,2, will start or stop locomotive 16, and regulate its speed when running, without in any way ai'ecting'the locomotive 33. The latter, on thel other hand, mayl be started, stopped, orl regulated in speed,\by manipulation of switch 24and variable resistance 23,-connected to rails 10, 11,-without affecting the operation df locomotive 16. In this way, the two locomotives may be controlled independently of each other, and although running on the same track, either or both may be stopped, started, and regulated in speed at the will of the operator by simple manipulation of current-controlling devices at a remote point.

If desired, one'or more cars or other vehicles may be coupled to either or both of the locomotives, makin up trains of any length, and impairment o the independent control of the trains may be avoided -by constructing the cars so that no electrical connection is made between rails 10 and 12, onwhich the wheels of the cars rest. This may be accomplished in various ways, as by insulating all car-wheels located on the same side as the insulated wheels ofthe locomotive coupled thereto, or by making all of the car-wheels of insulated construction, or by other suitable insulating means. The invention may be utilized, moreover, for other purposes than the operation of two separate trains. Instead of the second locomotive 33, for example, another vehicle or car equipped with other characteristic electrical devices such as lamps, signals, an auxiliary hoisting. motor or the like, 'ma be operated on the track, and its electrica equipment controlled independently of the Virst locomotive. Such a vehicle or car, as will now be understood, may for that purpose conveniently be provided with a structure of insulated wheels, and currentcollecting'wheels and contact shoe, similar to those of the locomotive it replaces.

In Figs. 2 and 3 ofthe drawings, a modification or adaptation of the invention is shown, whereby, for example, a toy railway system having the features illustrated in Fig. 1 may be provided with automatic signals, crossinggates or other electrically-operated accessories actuated by the passage of a car or train past a given place on the track. Fig. 2 shows a portion of a standard section of track, generally identical with that illustrated in Fig.v

l, except that it is provided with additional contact rails or members 37, longitudinally disposed near the outer rails 10, l2 but not touching same, and secured to the ties 13, as by lugs 38 which may be permanently riveted to the ties, as shown, or detachably secured thereto, with suitable machine screws or other removable fasteners. The construction and location of these contact rails is such that a metallic car-wheel passing over one of the outer rails will at the same time make electrical contact with the adjacent contact rail. To that end, in the structure illustrated, the contact rails 37 are made of thin, resilient metal, and are shaped so that the flange of a wheel passing over the adjacent load rail will spring the contact rail slightly inward and at the same time make continuous contact therewith, as in the enlarged cross-setcional view of Fig. 3, where a pair of`wheels, such as locomotive wheels 17, 18, are shown traveling over the load rails 10, 12. In order to facilitate entrance ofthe wheel flanges in the space between the load rails and the contact rails, the latter may be suitably flared or bent inwardly at their ends, as at 39, Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3, the wiring of transformer secondary 2O to the three rails is as shown in Fig. 1, and an automatic signal or otherl device to be actuated by the passage of a car or train is conventionally represented by lamp 40, connected to metallic tie 13 by wire 41 and through wire 42 to the secondary 20 (or conveniently to the latter through center rail 11, although not as shown). Switch 27 being closed so that the locomotive of the passing train is drawing current from rails l1, 12, it will be seen that the effect of the passing wheels is to light lamp 40, cur- .rent flowing from secondary 20 through switch 27, rail 12, metallic wheel-flange 43, contact rail 37, tie 13, wire 41, lamp'40, and wire 42 back to secondary 20. If likewise another locomotive or train such as locomotive 33, drawing current from rails 10, 11 should pass, lamp 40 will again light, by reason of the closing of a similar circuit by the flange of a metallic wheel 35 (in lieu of insulated wheel 17) passing between rail 10 and its adjacent contact rail 37, as will now be readily understood.

By thus providing the toy railway system of the invention with contact members at certain portions of the track, automatic devices may be operated on the passage of either of two individually controlled trains. Other arrangements of such contact members are also possible, to accomplish similar purposes, as for example the selective operation of a signal device on the passage of only one of the trains. In the latter case, one of the contact rails shown in Figs. 2 and 3 may be removed, leaving only that contact rail which will be engaged by the current-collecting or metallic wheels of the c-ars on the passage of which signal operation is desired. It may also be here noted that whereas in the construction of Figs. 2 and 3, the contact rails 37 are directly connected to the ties 13, it is for some purposes desirable to insulate them therefrom, as would in fact be necessary in a system employing track having one of its current-carrying rails not insulate-d from the ties, and in such case wire 41 of Fig. 3 is connected to the members 37 themselves rather than to the tie 13, as will be understood.

Bearing in mind that the toy railway system of this invention is designed primarily for the entertainment and instruction of children, it is desirable to simplify the structure of the system as far as possible. To that end, and more particularly to avoid any possible confusion incident to the use of toy locomotives, cars, or thelike which are..to be operated with certain wheels on a predetermined side 0f the track,'a characteristic color or other visible characteristic marking may use,- fully be applied to all car and locomotive wheels of one class, which class may be that of the insulated wheels or it may be that of the current-collectingv wheels. In either event, operation of the system is facilitated,

since one train may then be readily made up with all of its marked wheels on one side of the track, and a second train likewise made up with all of its marked wheels on the other side of the track, all with the greatest ease and without further'close scrutiny of the cars. It may also be desirable to differentiate the outer or load rails of the track, by marking one of them, for example, with portions of characteristic color or withother characteristic markings, so Athat o n knowing the corresponding clrcuits of switches and rheostats and observing the marked wheels of the cars, the operator may `determine at a glance the proper switch and rheostat for controlling each train or other electrical device on the track.

It is to be understood that the invention is 'not limited to the specic constructions herecontrolling v cle capable of travelin on said track and havl, ing a driving motora apted to draw current from one pairof said rails, a second vehicle capable of traveling on said track and having a driving motor adapted to draw current from another pair of said rails, a source of current adapted to be connected to said rails to actuate the driving motors of said vehicles, and controlling means, associated with said source of current and said rails, for connecting the source of current with either or both of said pairs of rails at will.

2. In a toy railway system, a track having a plurality of current-carrying rails, a vehicle capable oftraveling on said track and having characteristic electrically 'operated equipment adapted to draw current from one pair of said rails, a second vehicle capable of traveling on said track and having characteristic electrically operated equipment adapted tol draw current from another pair of said rails, a source of current', conductors for transmitting current from said source to said pairs of rails, and means, associated with said conductors, for controlling the transmission of current to either pair of rails independently of the other.

3. In a toy railway system, a track having a set of current-conducting rails insulated from each other, and comprising two loadcarrying rails and a third rail, a source of current, a set of conductors for connecting oneside of said source of current with said third rail, and the'other side of said source of current with said load-carrying rails, an electrically-operated vehicle capable of traveling on said load-carrying rails and adapted to draw current from the third rail and one of the load-carrying rails alone, a second electrically-operated vehicle capable of traveling on said load-carrying rails and adapted to draw current from'the third rail and the other of the load-carrying rails alone, and current-controlling means associated with said Vset of conductors for controlling operation of said vehicles independently of each other.

4. In a toy railway system, atrack having two current-carrying load rails and a third current-carrying rail, a source of current having one side `connected to the third rail,

conductors connecting the load rails in parallel with each other to the other side of said source, a vehicle capable of traveling on the load rails and having a driving motor adapted to draw current from the third rail and return the same through wheels on one side only, a second vehicle capable of traveling on lthe load rails and having a driving motor adapted to draw current from the third rail and return the same through wheels only on the side opposite to. the current-return side of the first vehicle, and means for opening and closing the circuit through either or both of said conductors at will, for controlling operation of said vehicles.

5. In a toy railway system, a track having three current-,conducting rails, two of said rails being adapted to carry the wheels of vehicles traveling on the track, a source of current having one side connected to the third of said rails, current-controlling means connected to the other side of said source and to the wheel-carrying rails for controlling the fiow of current to either of said rails independently of the other, and two vehicles capable of traveling on the track, each vehicle having a driving. motor, and means for connecting one terminal of said motor to the aforesaid third rail, and having on one side one or more current-conducting wheels for connecting the other terminal of said motor to one of the wheel-carrying rails, and on the other side the periphery of each wheel insulated from the said current-conducting "wheels, the current-conducting wheels of the respective vehicles being disposed on opposite wheel-carrying rails.

6. In a toy railway system, a track having two current carrying load rails and a third current carrying rail; two electrically-driven vehicles capable of traveling on said track, each of said vehicles being adapted to draw current from the third rail and return the same through one or more current-conducting wheels on one side only, and having about its wheels on the opposite side peripheries of insulating material, the current-conducting wheels of the respective vehicles being disposed on opposite load rails'; a source of current adapted to be connected to said third rail and in parallel with said load rails, means associated with said source and with said track for controlling the flow of current through either or both of said load rails at will; an electrically-operative railway accessory having one of its terminals connected to one side of said source of current, and contact members connected to the other terminal of said accessory and positioned at a portion of said track and adjacent the load rails thereof, said members being capable of making Contact with the current-conducting wheels of said vehicles, for connecting the contacted member through its adjacent load rail to the other side of said source of current.

7. The toy railway system described in claim 4, in which one side ofthe first vehicle and the opposite side of the second vehicle have characteristic markings, for visibly ascertaining the predetermined positioning of said vehicles on the track.

8. In a toy railway system, a track having a plurality of current-carrying rails, an electrically driven vehicle capable of traveling on said track and drawing driving current from one pair of said rails, a second electrically driven vehicle capable of traveling on said track and drawing driving current from another pair of said rails, a source of current connected to said track, means, assoclated with sald source and said track, for controlling the owof current through either or` i both of said pairs oi rails at will, an electrically operated railway accessory capable of drawing operating current from elther ofnsaid pairs of rails, and contact means, associated with said accessory and a portion of said track and operable by the passing of eitherof said Vehicles over said portion of track, for 'connecting said accessory with the pair of rails' from which the passing vehicle draws drivin current.

In testimony whereof we hereto aix our signatures.

WILLIAM A. BROWNE. ROBERT KISSEL. 

